Qualcomm claims Snapdragon X2 Plus beats Intel and AMD in performance and efficiency for Windows laptops
Qualcomm has shared new performance data for its Snapdragon X2 Plus 10-core and 6-core chips with the press, showing large gains in both CPU and NPU efficiency compared with current AMD and Intel laptop processors. Tests were run on Windows 11 using Geekbench 6.5 and UL Procyon benchmarks.
According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon X2 Plus 10-core delivers up to 3.1x faster multi-core CPU performance at the same power as competitors, while also achieving 52% higher peak performance . Competing x86 platforms reportedly require 4.4xmore power to reach similar throughput. In single-core workloads, the X2 Plus shows 3.5× better efficiency and 28% higher peak scores in Geekbench 6.5 versus AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 and Intel Core Ultra 7 256V/265U processors.
Performance comparisons were made using reference platforms: Snapdragon X2 Plus 10-core (X2P-64-100), AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 tested in an ASUS ZenBook 14 (UM3406KA), and Intel Core Ultra 7 265U/256V in Dell XPS 13 (9350) and Dell Pro 16 Plus (PN615250) systems. Qualcomm says all systems were tested at maximum sustainable performance levels, excluding idle power periods.
Source: VideoCardz
For generational gains, Qualcomm reports the 10-core X2 Plus improves single-core performance by 35% , multi-core by 17%, GPU by 29%, and NPU by 78% over the previous X Elite series. The 6-core variant shows similar uplift, with 35% higher single-core and 39% higher GPU performance.
AI benchmarks show the Snapdragon X2 Plus NPU reaching 83,624 points in Geekbench AI , about 6× faster than Intel’s Core Ultra 7 265U and nearly 6.4× ahead in UL Procyon Computer Vision tests. AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 did not return a valid result in that comparison.
Actual laptop performance will depend on OEM design, cooling, and sustained power limits when the first devices debut in early 2026.
| Snapdragon X2 Series Specifications | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VideoCardz.com | X2 Elite Extreme (X2E-96-100) | X2 Elite (X2E-88-100) | X2 Elite (X2E-80-100) | X2 Plus 10-core (X2P-64-100) 🆕 | X2 Plus 6-core (X2P-42-100)🆕 |
| Total Cores (Performance + Prime) | 18 (6+12) | 18 (6+12) | 12 (6+6) | 10 | 6 |
| Boost Frequency | 5.0 GHz (Single-Core) / 5.0 GHz (Dual-Core) | 4.7 GHz (Single-Core) / 4.7 GHz (Dual-Core) | 4.7 GHz (Single-Core) / 4.4 GHz (Dual-Core) | TBC | TBC |
| Performance Max Multi-Core | 3.6 GHz | 3.4 GHz | 3.4 GHz | 4.0 GHz | 4.0 GHz |
| Total Cache | 53 MB | 53 MB | 34 MB | 34 MB | 22 MB |
| GPU Part No. | X2-90 | X2-90 | X2-85 | X2-45 | X2-45 |
| GPU Max Frequency | 1.85 GHz | 1.70 GHz | 1.70 GHz | 1.7 GHz | 0.9 GHz |
| NPU (TOPS) | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| Memory Type | LPDDR5x-9523 | LPDDR5x-9523 | LPDDR5x-9523 | LPDDR5x-9523 | LPDDR5x-9523 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 228 GB/s | 152 GB/s | 152 GB/s | TBC | TBC |
Source: VideoCardz
